All of the Bible Commentaries of the Scottish Covenanters

This collection includes every commentary, or series of sermons, on at least a whole chapter of the Bible (plus a few more) of the Scottish covenanters that are in English, from the Scottish Reformation in 1560 to the end of what is popularly known as the Covenanting Era in 1689, as well as works from a few godly episcopalians of that time period (such as Guild and Leighton).

A significant share of the works below originated from David Dickson spear-heading a project for Scottish divines to produce short, popular commentaries on some of the more difficult books of the Bible that were not as often commented upon. Though the entire design of the project could not been seen through, yet this effort produced commentaries between 1635-1669 from:

Dickson on the Psalms, Matthew, all of the Epistles and Hebrews;
James Fergusson on Galatians-2 Thessalonians;
George Hutcheson on Job, the Minor Prophets and John; and
Alexander Nisbet on Ecclessiastes and 1 &2 Peter;

all of which commentaries are below. Robert Blair finished a commentary on Proverbs, but it was never published. Samuel Rutherford was assigned Isaiah, but whatever portion of the work was completed, was lost. Robert Douglas also collaborated in this project.

Read the article at Reformation Scotland for why you should read these commentaries, as they (and most of the rest of the commentaries below) are: practical, pastoral, simple, concise, clear, contextual, and popular. The value of these commentaries, for those who savor the Word of God, will also be quickly assessed by skimming the comments of the renowned Charles Spurgeon following many of the works. His scale is as follows:

Do not be fooled by the number of commentaries that received three stars below: Spurgeon did not handout his highest rating frequently or loosely. J.C. Ryle said that Rollock’s commentaries were some of the best Christian literature that he ever read.

Though Latin works have not been included, it may be of interest to highlight a few: Rollock wrote Latin commentaries on the Psalms, Daniel, John, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians and Hebrews; Andrew Melville commented on Romans; Robert Boyd wrote a magnum opus on Ephesians, it being ‘not only an exhaustive commentary, but virtually a systematic theology as well.’ (F.F. Bruce) It can only be hoped that with time, these, and many other Latin works in the archives, will be translated into English, the new lingua franca.

The list below includes 25 commentaries on whole books of the Bible in all. On the one hand, this is a rather low number for the length of the time period (especially in comparison to the prolific output of the more numerous English puritans). This low number may in part be explained by historical circumstances. It took several decades after the Reformation in 1560 to establish circumstances and institutions in Scotland that fostered the flourishing of protestant higher learning and literature. Rollock, the first principal of Edinburgh University, in 1591 first gave spring to this ensuing fountain of Biblical wealth. As James Hewison explains in Appendix 1, Literary Men and their Works from 1625-1690 (in Vol. 2 of The Covenanters), the later civil wars and censorship of the dominant prelate partyduring several decades of the 1600’s also contributed to the limited number of godly works that were able to make it through the Scottish presses. Nonetheless, the contribution that the covenanters did make to commentaries on books of the Bible is irreplaceable, and a landmark of solid, deep, spiritual savoriness found in too few of later commentaries.

Please take great delight in the richness of God’s Word unfolded by these Scottish covenanters!

**– ‘The manuscript of this rare book was sent to Dr. John Owen by the widow of the author, with a letter of her own, informing him that her dying husband desired it to be so forwarded. Dr. Owen says, that he found the treatise ‘written with perspicuity and clearness, handling a subject of great and delightful variety, with a choice mixture of spiritual, moral, and political observations, tempered by a good and sound judgment unto common capacities.’ We do not presume to criticize where Owen commends, but we should not have originated such a commendation.’

***– ‘This is a small book, and we have been unable to procure it. [William] Orme [†1830] only mentions it upon the authority of Watt’s Bibliotheca. It is certain to be good, for Durham is always admirable.’

***– ‘Whenever the student sees a commentary by Hutcheson let him buy it, for we know of no author who is more thoroughly helpful to the minister of the Word. He distills the text, and gives his readers the quintessence, ready for use.’

*** – ‘Durham is always good, and he is at his best upon the Canticles. He gives us the essence of the good matter. For practical use this work is perhaps more valuable than any other Key to the Song.’

***– ‘Dickson is a writer after our own heart. For preachers he is a great ally. There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron’s head. In this volume the observations are brief.’

Note that the Banner of Truth reprint contains Dickson’s commentary on less books than the original.

**– ‘It is said that when this great divine died the entire population of Edinburgh attended his funeral. His Lectures on Colossians were once very popular, but are now extremely scarce. The style is very simple and colloquial, and the matter far from profound.’

***– ‘Dr. Henry Mills thus wrote of Leighton’s works: ‘There is a spirit in them I never met with in any other human writings, nor can I read many lines in them without being moved.’ We need scarcely commend this truly heavenly work. It is a favorite with all spiritual men.’

**– ‘After all that has been written, it would not be easy to find a more sensible and instructive work than this old-fashioned exposition. We cannot accept its interpretations of the mysteries, but the mystery of the gospel fills it with sweet savor.’

Durham writes in the historicist school of interpretation, which was the nearly universal view of the Scottish covenanters, along with the Reformation and puritan era.

Guild, William – The Sealed Book Opened: or, a Clear Explication of the Prophecies of the Revelation. Together with the lessons that are to be observed from every chapter thereof, being clearly explained. Intended chiefly for the discovery to all of that Roman Antichrist, and that Rome’s final destruction is surely at hand, by that blessed work of reformation happily begun in the several churches and kingdoms of EuropeToC 1656